Naruto the Natural Sage
by HelixLunar17
Summary: In a world where titles make the person, Naruto has been given the worst of them. Knucklehead, idiot, dobe, but are those titles true to his character? Through all the Hatred and Doubt the world has to offer, will Naruto raise above like a natural or will he fall to the Cycle of Hatred that plagues his world?
1. Chapter 1

Naruto the Natural Sage

It was the first day of the Ninja Academy in Konohagakure. Despite the village being in the Fire Country, it was the middle of winter. Snow blanketed the, once lush and now bare, trees and ground. Naruto Uzumaki, your typical orphan, wished he could say he didn't see his day turning out like it did. How had his day turned out? Well…

After FINALLY convincing the Third Hokage, or just Old Man as he called them because why not? He was an old man after all. Anyway, after convincing him to let him join the Ninja Academy, Naruto was pumped to get started! His whole life amounted to one thing and one thing only: loneliness. Due to the Kyūbi Attack eight years prior, there were a lot of orphans and lonely people in the village of Konoha. Yet Naruto felt he suffered the most. At least orphans had the caretakers. At least others still had people they could rely on; our favorite blonde had no one.

Maybe… Just maybe, the Ninja Academy would be his fresh start? Be his chance to actually meet people and develop more bonds. For him to find a purpose in life. With that in mind, Naruto rushed to the Academy on enrollment day! He surveyed the campus grounds a few times just to get a feel for it. When suddenly he heard something.

When he searched for the source, Naruto found it to be a group of older kids bullying a little girl. Bullies really pissed him off. Going around hurting others just for your own entertainment. Those were just a few monsters he wished were gone, if not a little less common. "Hey! Why don't you pick on a guy ya punks! Have to pick on a little girl to feel all big!" His taunt worked. The bullies turned their ire from the 'Blank-Eyed Freak' to the 'Loudmouth brat'. And that is where Naruto found himself.

Naruto put up a valiant fight… For all of 3 seconds before the bullies outnumbered and overpowered him. Naruto's red scarf was used to hold him still as one bully literally wrapped it around his neck and lightly chocked him. The other bullies punched and kicked him in a complete and bloody beat down. The once porcelain white grounds were stained with his blood. The girl he saved could only watch in fright and shame as he protector was pummeled into the ground.

"Stupid Fox Brat. I wasted all my energy on him. Now I can't show that Blank-Eye who's boss." The apparent boss literally spat on Naruto. His followers just shrugged and they make their way out of the playgrounds before an adult came. Naruto lied broken on the ground. Drops of his blood soaked into the ground. Yet another day of him getting pummeled. First day at the Academy and he had already been deemed a failure…

" **Pathetic… I can't have you getting your ass kicked by a bunch of lesser beings… GET UP!"** a dark and booming voice barked it's order. A small burst of energy filled Naruto and the energy compelled him to rise to his feet. "HEY YA PUNKS!" the boss and his followers stopped and turned with a glare that dropped into teeth chattering fear. All they could do was sweat and all the girl could do was stare in awe. Naruto gave the boys a cold glare. His once sky blue eyes froze into a chilling violet.

"Let's try this again…" Naruto prepared. He didn't know what had possessed him. His body moved by the force of that strange energy. It was really warm; almost boiling hot! The energy actually caused his body to steam! He rushed the boss and wasted no time. He slugged the boss in the face and then took his head and drove it into his knee! One of the followers tried to sneak attack him, but he flipped him on his ass and finished him with a blow to the temple. The last guy tried to run, but Naruto was having none of that.

Naruto grabbed him by the collar, kicked him in the balls a total of three times, and finished it with one massive punch to the face. The snowy ground had the blood of the bullies spilled as they groan in pain. Naruto felt no sympathy for them. He pouted at the fact they had taken his scarf from him. He searched for it until he found it in the hands on the girl he saved. She seemed nice enough, though she seemed scared of him. She wouldn't look him in the eye.

"Hey no need to be afraid. I know you saw me get a little wild there, but I only do that to the bad guys! You're a girl in need, so Naruto Uzumaki is here to save the day!" Naruto declared with his foxy smile. He even flexed his scrawny arms. The girl's response was to shy away from him.

"Um… Thank you for saving me…" the girl whispered. Naruto still heard her, though she stuttered so much he almost didn't know what she said.

"I'm guessing you said thanks… So you're welcome! I have had my fair share of bullies, but you can't let them get you down! Only you can tell yourself how important you are, at least I think so?" Naruto asked. At some point in his attempt to cheer her up, he got lost or something. **"Of all the… I would get sealed into a guy just like him… This must be Kami-sama way of paying me back for that time humans wandered onto my forest of bloodsucking weeds… Not my fault the humans got mad and tried to burn the forest to the ground… So ended a once proud clan…"** Was Naruto hearing things? He looked around to see if there were people around. He just shrugged.

"Um… I'm Hinata Hyūga…" Hinata introduced with a polite bow. Naruto just laughed. No one ever was polite with him. "You sure are proper. Must be tough being so stiff all the time." His joke had the opposite effect of what he wanted. Hinata started to tear up for reasons she knew all too well. Contrary to what Naruto thought, Hinata was actually rather lax. Without getting too deep into, she wasn't stiff at all and since she wasn't it made her family way hard. Too hard for her and that made her a failure…

Naruto could feel what little manhood he had dwindling with each tear Hinata shed. He panicked and tried his best to make her laugh or smile or get mad; anything to get her to stop crying. "Tell you what. Why don't you keep the scarf. It's cold out and I don't want you getting sick." Hinata started to dry her tears, sensing her guard was drawing near.

"Won't you get a cold without it?" Hinata asked without a stutter. Her concern for her hero overshadowing any shyness or fear. Naruto just waved her off, "Nah. I'm too tough to get sick. I've never had a cold my whole life!" deep within his mind. Something stirred more than ever before. **"You're welcome brat… The Chakra I was forced to plant in your body is the only reason you are even alive…"** The voice went unheard to Naruto; the voice had no plans on revealing itself just yet.

Hinata thanked Naruto shyly and left the playgrounds for her family estate. Naruto watched her go, his smile dropped. The loneliness was back… out of frustration, the blonde kid kicked some snow until the grass showed. It was green, "What a second… Grass dies in winter… Right?" **"Interesting… Could it be?"**

Upon further inspection, Naruto saw something sprouting from the snowy ground. "No way!" Naruto couldn't believe his eyes! Blooming in bloody grass patch was a budding orange Rosa flower. **"Harvest it quickly!"** Naruto jumped and looked, but found no one around to have called out to him.

" **I said harvest it you foolish brat! That is… A super awesome… Ugh… Mega flower that will bloom and grant you a forgotten, but powerful, type of jutsu…"** The deep mysterious voice promised. The promise of powerful jutsus was all Naruto needed to hear. He had time before the Academy officially started anyway. He safely dug up the flower and its roots and ran home to put the plant in a vase.

Meanwhile, the other children and parents were gathered at the Academy entrance. Through those halls every shinobi, since its foundation, has had to attend and pass in order to start their ninja careers. Ninja clans and civilians alike were encouraged to participate and truly show their love and honor for the family that was Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. At the entrance was the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the wizened leader of said Hidden Village. He spoke of his own love for the village and what the Academy had to offer. The rules of the Academy and a brief lesson on the rules of the Shinobi.

"Before I go over the Academy Curriculum for the parents and adult loved ones of our future shinobi. I feel I must share with all my future defenders of the village my views on 3, ' Hiruzen puts up three fingers', of my own personal Shinobi Rules." The Third stated. The kind grandfatherly smile he was known for dropped briefly. He looked at the children with eyes keen and stern. Even the adults silently swallowed a lump and paid attention to the veteran of all 3 Shinobi World Wars.

"Rule#1, 'Hiruzen counted down to 1 finger.' A shinobi must prepare before it is too late. This rule is the difference between a great ninja and a dead ninja. Always strive to foster a strong body and mind by practicing and honing your skills." The Third explained wisely. He was not known as the Professor for neglecting his studies. Nor was he known as the God of Shinobi for neglecting his body.

"Rule#2, 'Hiruzen puts up two fingers', a shinobi must never show weakness. Weakness can be many things, but it boils down to this. Don't let anyone see things you don't want seen. If you must show weakness. Show it to your most trusted loved ones, but be careful. Weakness is exploited more often than not." The Third explained. He wanted to keep his explanations short and yet profound. He was talking to children and no matter how matter they may or may not be. After awhile, all his talking would only register as 'Boring Old Guy Stories'. He sighed, peace was indeed a wonderful thing, but it did soften the people. The steaks weren't as high, but that was a good thing.

"Rule#25: A Shinobi must never show their tears. Tears are a powerful thing. When people see them, they know you are hurt or hurting. Unfortunately, in the Shinobi World, tears are a sign of weakness to exploit. So save your tears for those who earn and deserve them. Think of tears as precious energy your enemies want to steal from you." The Third explained. He managed to not only get his message across, but got some of the kids and adults to laugh at his interpretation.

With that taken care of, the Third explained the curriculum to the adults and let the children go and play. When the kids were dismissed, he gave the crowd a quick scan and frowned when he didn't see a head of spiky blonde hair or the red spiral on a plain white shirt. _"After all that fuss… Naruto-kun wouldn't skip enrollment… That much I know. What are you planning my boy?"_

The Academy Curriculum was established by the Second and adopted by the Third Hokages. The Hidden Villages were established to keep children from dying needlessly in war. An Academy student should expect to spend 8 years in the Academy with special cases being able to graduate in 1-4 years. That curriculum was universal and had been since the times of the Second Hokage. Itachi Uchiha, the Black Prodigy of the Uchiha, was an example having graduated at 8. He would be the last.

After the Uchiha Downfall a few months prior, it was decided that no one was allowed to graduate early. Many who knew Itachi knew he was a pacifist due to all the death and destruction he both saw and sowed in his career. Some believed having such power and responsibility at such a tender age was too much for him to bare. His younger brother, Sasuke Uchiha was the last of his clan. The boy would need the 8 years to both recover and be monitored.

The Academy could be broken down into eight years and each year teaches something new or expands from the previous year. Obviously the first four years set the basis for the Academy student. The Academy Instructors were Chūnin in rank. So while they taught the students the basics and some of the material seemed advanced. It was really just the basics and they would have to become Genin and be instructed by a Jōnin to really master their skills learned at the Academy. It went as followed: Year One: Math, Language Arts/Calligraphy, Science: Biology, Geology, Chemistry, Physical Ed, and Beginning Shurikenjutsu.

Year Two: Beginning Chakra Theory, Chakra Affinity Test, Beginning Chakra Development, Beginning Hand Seals, General Ed classes based on Affinity (Fire=Fire Dynamics, Wind= Atmospheric Science, Lightning= Fumniology, Earth= Geology, and Water= Hydrology), and Team Building.

Year Three: Intermediate Chakra Theory (Learning about Yin and Yang Chakra), Medical-Nin Aptitude Test, Kenjutsu Aptitude Test, Fūinjutsu Aptitude Test, Genjutsu (Recognition) and Intermediate Shurikenjutsu (Accuracy).

Year Four: Beginning Specialist Field (Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Genjutsu, Medical Jutsu, Fūinjutsu), Intermediate Hand Seals, Advanced Shurikenjutsu (Adding Wire), Intermediate/Advanced Chakra Development (Spiral Pit Development), Beginning Chakra Control (Leaf, Kunai Balancing), Beginning Taijutsu (for those not specializing in it), Intermediate Genjutsu (Casting), Beginning Ninjutsu (for those not specializing in it), Beginning Fūinjutsu (Explosive tags, Storage), and Beginning Affinity Training.

Year Five: Intermediate Specialty Field, Intermediate Taijutsu, Intermediate Ninjutsu, Intermediate Chakra Control (Tree Walking), Advanced Genjutsu (Canceling), Dojutsu Study, Advanced Chakra Theory (Chakra Flow), Intermediate Affinity Training, and Agility Training.

Year Six, Seven, and Eight: Advanced Specialty Field, Advanced Hand Seals, Advanced Taijutsu, Advanced Ninjutsu, Advanced Chakra Control (Water Walking), Advanced Affinity Training, and Shape Transformation training.

At the end of their eight year, the students will be given a 3 portion test. One a written, the other a combination of Tai-Nin-Genjutsu, and the other based on the students apparent specialty. Passing 2-3 of either portion is enough to become a Genin and assigned a 3 man cell that is assigned to a Jōnin and given a team number. Only Chūnin and higher cells are given names.

Naruto missed ALL of that. He managed to return just in time for the Academy Instructors opening the doors and all the excited kids rushed in. He just smiled with anticipation! He wanted to rush in their too, but he felt something. Naruto was always able to feel people's emotions. He was used to negative emotions most of all. He looked to the source of such raw emotion and saw a dark boy. He had no life to his coal like eyes. He managed to keep his appearance from reflecting his inner turmoil. Outside he was as cool as a cucumber. The dark boy looked his way and they exchange a glance. They both saw the same thing: Loneliness. Both boys refused to believe anyone could feel so alone, so they glared and turned away from one another.

Everyone walked into the Academy and went to their assigned classroom. Naruto saw that there were dozens upon hundreds of classrooms besides his own. When he got to class, he saw that every seat was filled. It went over his head the sheer scope of the Academy and how many shinobi it pumps in and out every year or so.

"Alright students listen well. Before I introduce myself let me be clear. Yes this is my real name and if I hear anyone laugh they will regret it… I am Dango Mitsuki…" Dango introduced. A random student couldn't help but snicker and was rewarded with a tooth pick lodged in his forehead! It actually bled a little as the kid went pale blue and passed out from fright.

"You will call Mitsuki-Sensei!" Dango ordered. "Yes Mitsuki-Sensei!" Mitsuki smirked and threw a few more tooth picks at seemingly random targets. Sasuke caught one and flicked it away. Naruto fumbled and managed to avoid by falling back in his chairs. A pineapple haired kid yawned and the pick lodged into his desk. One toothpick poked a hole in a bag of chips held by a plump kid. The lavender eyed girl flicked her wrist and split the pick in half. Both a pink and long haired blonde girl got hit in the arm and cried about it. A cloud of insects caught a pick headed for a heavily cloaked kid with black glasses. A rough and shaggy looking kid actually caught it with his teeth to show off.

"Alright you nine brats. Since you all seemed so focused on yourselves and whatever seemed more important than learning your Sensei's name. Why not introduce yourselves?" Dango instructed.

"I am Sasuke Uchiha… I have a life purpose. A mission I must complete and to do that I need power. I couldn't care less about you or your name. I have no Sensei… No one can ever hold that title again…" Sasuke declared before he went back to contemplating. Dango's head bugled with frustration, but he calmed his nerves. _"Hokage-sama was right to be weary of the last Uchiha… I guess the Curse of Hatred lived on…"_

Naruto got up and tried to save face, "Naruto Uzumaki, what's it to ya? Sensei, Sempai, Sama-Rama who cares about all those dumb titles? All I care about is Hokage and my name attached ya know!" the class laughed at Naruto, who only growled at the doubters.

*Yawn* "Shikamaru Nara…" Shikamaru sloth about on the verge of falling back asleep.

"Ah! You hit one of the chips! Nothing beats eating a whole chip in one bite!... Choji Akimichi…" Choji cried for his fallen chip.

"OW! WHY SOULD YOU DO THAT MITSUKI-SENSEI?! THAT HURT!" both the pink and blonde girls yelled shrilly! "Get used to it! The Shinobi World is filled with hurt and agony!" that shut both of them up.

"I am Ino Yamanaka…" Ino introduced quietly.

"Sakura Haruno…" Sakura introduced just as quiet.

"I am Hinata Hyūga… Thank you for testing my reflexes and focus… I… Got distracted…" Hinata introduced timidly. Naruto perked up at that.

"Ah man! Hinata!? We're in the same class? What are the chances? I really am lucky!" Naruto cheered by leaping into the air! Poor Hinata could only blush. "Alright calm down ya Knucklehead! We have two more showoffs."

"… Shino Aburame… Also I would like to point out I was not attempting to show off. I was simply getting a feel for the room…" Shio explained. Dango knew the implication. He checked himself and found one of the infamous Aburame Insects crawling on him. He picked it up and looked at Shino. The Aburame child nodded and the insect stealthily flew away.

"Ha! I'm Kiba Inuzuka, but you can refer to me as the Alpha of this class!" Kiba boasted with a flex of his freshly sharpened claws. Dango just sighed, _"Great… I would get a bunch of Clan Kids AND the freaking Kyūbi Jinchūriki all in the same class… I know my observation skills are top notch, but this is retarded!"_

Dango wrote down the Academy Requirements on the board and watched each students reaction down to the smallest detail.

Love the village and hope to help preserve peace and prosperity.

Have a mind that will not yield, able to endure hard training and work.

Be healthy in mind and body.

Most of the class responded well. Their parents and family were either Shinobi or spoke highly of them, so they had the patriotic spirit needed to keep the village alive and well. Some, read Shikamaru, only glanced at them and fell asleep. Most of the Clan Kids responded as one would expect. Sasuke's reaction was worrying.

" _Tsk… Love the village… Where was the village when my clan was slaughtered? You mean to tell me no one noticed? Itachi was an Anbu Captain. Sure he knew the routines and locations of most Anbu, but no one person should be to kill a clan without setting off some alarm. Peace just makes you weak and prosperity just makes you want more…"_ Sasuke might as well have set the board on fire with how intensely he glared at it.

Dango started the class by passing out aptitude tests based on Year One's curriculum. Naruto groaned when he looked at all the big and complex words written down for him to solve. _"Why is reading so hard!"_ deep within Naruto's mind, where the boy had yet to discover, a deep voice groans. **"Probably because everyone was too afraid of the Kyūbi Brat to teach you properly… Sucks to suck."** Growing bored of such childish lessons, the mighty Kyūbi, awakened from its recovery, decided to test his theory. Despite popular belief, the Bijū were more than mindless beasts ready for the taking. They were Sentient Constructs of Natural Chakra. Their emotions are the main reason it is so harmful to humans. If humans wanted to take its power, they would get its hatred along with it. The Kyūbi's hatred being among the most potent.

That being said. One ability that the Kyūbi had that many didn't know was its ability to transfer its Natural Chakra into living things and potentially control and empower it to foxy effect. It didn't work well with most humans, but with just a little bit of its Chakra, or in that case blood soaked with his Chakra from birth, maybe it could spread its influence and find a way out of the boy who reminded it of someone it once knew in a distance time and life. It tried to connect to the small spark that was lit inside that flower at Naruto's apartment. It wasn't easy. The seal really prevented it from even being able to get a tail out. It had to settle with just ¼ of a tail.

The orange Rosa was consumed by a red aura of Chakra. The red Chakra burned the budding flower and from its ashes, **"Yes! I am free! No more damp and cramped cage! I am… stuck in a pot… Well it is a start…"** the Kyūbi successfully transferred its Will to another living being. Given enough exposure to its source, Naruto, it could become mobile, if not combat-ready! Things were just getting started…


	2. Chapter 2

Naruto the Natural Sage

Deep in one of the many forests Konoha was known for we found Naruto Uzumaki, Year One Academy student, hard at work practicing his shurikenjutsu.

"Dang it! Why can't I hit that stupid target! It's been 11 months!" Naruto roared in frustration. He had spent yet another day training in that field of ninja study until the sun began to set. The targets he made and put on the trees were bare with the shurikens lodged on the trees instead. "It's like they're mocking me…"

For the past 11 months, Naruto attended the Academy and while his dream of being noticed had partially come true, his dreams of Hokage were looking slim. He had yet to invite Hinata over or even hang out with her after school and that added to his frustrations. Most of the class seemed to share the same viewpoints as the adults of the village. They either ignored him or mocked his every move. Not Hinata. She actually listened to him and didn't seem to mind him being around her. Only reason he never hung out with her was because she always was escorted home by a member of her clan. Naruto didn't know it before, but Hinata was a big deal. She was the Heiress of the famous Hyūga Clan; her escort told him secretly that a lady of Hinata's stature couldn't be seen with a lowly street urchin.

Naruto signed deeply. His was also on the verge of flunking out of the Academy due to his grades. He had a F in Math, but he hated math anyway. Sure, Mitsuki-Sensei should how math could translate to accuracy in Shurikenjutsu, but even he said it was exactly needed. The math just helped him and certain people in the field; Naruto was not one of those certain people. Science was a little better. Biology he had a C, Geology a F, and Chemistry a D.

His shining moments were in Calligraphy were he held a strong A. Which should him he could improve in Shurikenjutsu since his Calligraphy was terrible in the beginning. Physical Ed was easy for him. The obstacles must have been designed for kids, because Naruto usually finished them long before the others. He clearly had an A in that class too. If he wanted to pass, he needed to boost one of his failing classes to at least a solid C or weak B. Math was out clearly, Science just wasn't his thing. That left shurikenjutsu, a skill he felt he needed to know and know it well to survive. Naruto picked up his kunai and shurikenjutsu and threw them at the target one last time, only for them to miss the target completely.

Naruto growled before collecting his gear and heading home. Naruto was never the give up type, but he was someone who could admit when he was struggling and he wasn't too proud to ask for help. Main problem being no one would actually want to help him. Everyone had an excuse. 'I'm grading papers', 'As Hokage I have to monitor and regulate the village. Sorry Naruto-kun, maybe your Sensei can help.', 'I have clouds to watch'. "Who watches clouds all day?! How is that lazy bum even passing?!"

Naruto passed the time to his apartment by kicking a can. People stood out of his way, which just made him angrier. _"Stupid villagers… Can't even tell the difference between a little boy and a giant monster fox… At least they don't ask for my head on a daily basis. I'll take isolation over assassination any day…_ " How did the blonde Jinchūriki find out about his status? Had the Third told him to spare the child the pain of being ignored and not knowing why? Or perhaps he finally put two and two together when it came to the whole Fox Brat thing? Honestly. How had he not figured that out? The answer to all that was no.

One his way home, Naruto saw Sasuke Uchiha walking in the opposite direction. Sasuke turned and looked at him. Both boys saw in each other the same loneliness they had in their eyes. It was refreshing strangely enough. _"Maybe…"_

"Hey! Sasuke wait up! I gotta ask you something!" Naruto called out to the last Uchiha. Sasuke was surprised. Most people left him alone. He honestly figured the loudmouth dobe probably wanted a rematch or something stupid like that.

"I have better things to do that pound your face into the dirt again, Dobe." Sasuke stated. He didn't hate the blonde, but they weren't friendly either. Naruto's boisterous and showoff nature annoyed Sasuke to no end. That kind of behavior made you a target and targets usually ended up with shuriken and kunai in them.

"Please! The last match was a fluke! You are way better than me at Shurikenjutsu though." Naruto admitted. Again, Sasuke was surprised. Naruto hardly ever admitted his flaws. He would sooner tell you to shut up and keep trying than admit he sucked at something.

"Uchiha were well known for the mastery of shurikenjutsu. I have been training with them since I was 4. It'll take you years to improve to my level." Sasuke stated.

"You can have your oh so great Uchiha Shurikenjutsu powers. I just need some tips to improve is all. You're the best at it and I'm the worst. So what do you say? Care to share some tips with me?" Naruto asked. He even rubbed his head out of nervousness. Sasuke looked at the goofy blonde. He could easily say no and walk away, but he felt the blonde would just bug him even more.

"If it will get you to leave me alone for today… When you throw your shuriken pay attention to how you throw it. It really is all in how you handle the shuriken and the flick of your wrist." Sasuke explained. He pulled out a shuriken and demonstrated how to properly hold it. Sasuke then showed Naruto both the wrong way to throw it, without letting it go, and the right way. He threw it wrong on purpose and it clanked on the ground instead of lodgining into the side of a building. He then throw it right and it soared and nailed its target. Sasuke recovered his tools and walked back to the Uchiha Compound.

" **Grr! Damn Uchihas and their cursed eyes and darkness flame… Those two powers should never have been brought here, but then again. None of us Bijū should have been either. To think, it all started with a piece of fruit and a wanderer from Makai…"** Kyūbi stated. _"There you go again, Kyūbi… Always talking in ways I don't understand. Where the heck is Makai?"_ the Kyūbi just huffed and ignored the blonde, which served to anger said blonde. " _Stupid Old Fleabag…"_

" **Fleas would die if they even attempted to jump on me… I do have a shit ton of seeds in my fur thanks, in no small part, to your First Hokage. Shows what he knew though. I may have been turned into a Chakra Construct, but I am still a Fox Demon. Animal Demons are able to transfer their Chakra into nature and manipulate it… As you have seen."** Kyūbi explained. Naruto walked into his apartment and was greeted by the plant the mighty fox was referring to. The once huddling Rosa had bloomed into what Naruto dubbed 'The Fox Face' flower. It was an orange flower with petals that looked like a fox's face. Complete with fox ears and maw. It was gigantic! Literally almost as tall as he was.

"About time you got here! I need to be fed and watered!" the Fox Face flower screeched! Naruto just groaned, "Stop whining, Flowey geez. You're a pretty big plant, haven't you gotten enough of Seedbag's, **"Watch it!..."** Like I said, Seedbag's Chakra?"

"You're not going to stop calling us that are you? Whatever… It'll be worth it to have some sense of freedom. I may not be able to completely leave this damp boiler room cage, but I can experience the outside world through this and hopefully other forms." Flowey stated. Its vines were long enough to be limbs, but didn't have the strength it needed to be mobile. To all you who were curious. Flowey is how Naruto found out. For the first month or so, Flowey was a normal Rosa. The Kyūbi stealthily pushed his Chakra through the seal, which filtered it for Naruto to safely access. The excess Chakra was then released from his body and absorbed by the Rosa, which sat at the window next to his bed.

It was on the 6th month that Flowey was strong enough to form and bud completely. Flowey then explained how it was formed and what Naruto was. Naruto still hadn't told the Old Man Hokage. He was deemed a Professor. He could figure it out just like Naruto had to. The blonde Jinchūriki didn't trust the Bijū, nor like him too much. The Kyūbi felt the same way, but worse. Still, they both knew they were stuck together. Naruto didn't have much access to his own Chakra, let alone the Kyūbi's, but the Bijū was in complete control and 8 years inside the seal gave him a pretty solid idea of how it worked.

The Eight Trigram Seal was unique in that it actually allowed the Bijū Chakra to seep through and be safely absorbed into the Jinchūriki Chakra System and Coils. It acted like a filter so only certain amounts could be leaked out. Naruto held his hand palm out to Flowey and the Kyūbi took care of the rest. Orange Chakra seeped from the tips of his fingers and radiated on Flowey, its petal-like maw opened to show thorn fangs that almost ravished the orange Chakra.

Once Flowey had its fill, its vines retracted and coiled around it. Inside the vine cocoon, Flowey underwent its metamorphosis. **"Yes… Right now my Flower form is melting until it is a gelatinous state. From there, I will be able to shape it into any form I please… Should I make it a human?... No… Been there and done that. I doubt I will find humans like those two anyway… Might as well be a fox then."**

" _I'm probably going to regret this, but what happened to Flowey?"_ Naruto mentally asked his tenant. The Kyūbi pondered whether he should tell the boy… Eh why not? **"Flowey is like a caterpillar. It is cocooning so that it can truly blossom and become a butterfly… Except instead of a butterfly, a glorious Fox Demon will rise and once it has gathered Nature Chakra, it will come and devour you to reclaim my power!"** Yes! The mighty Bijū would not be contained inside another human for another 100 years! Uzumaki lived for too damn long naturally for its liking. It lucked out that its last Jinchūriki died prematurely.

" _You damn Seedbag! Why would I even let Flowey bloom?!"_ Naruto roared mentally. He ran over and punched the cocoon, but recoiled due to how sturdy it was. **"HAHAHAHAHA! FOOLISH HUMAN BRAT! That cocoon couldn't be destroyed from a Fireball, let alone your scrawny little fist. Besides, even if my Flower form doesn't do you in, I personally will. The seal keeping me at bay is steadily weakening. One day boy… One day I will be free… And you will die!"**

" _Oh… Why didn't you say that before? I thought you meant it would happen right away. If this happens in the future, I won't worry about it now. All I have to do is get stronger than Flowey and then get stronger than you. When it comes to spirit, I have so much I could shoot it like gun! Bang!"_ Naruto stated mentally.

" **WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!** " Kyūbi demanded. It was hit with an intense wave of nostalgia it couldn't quite place. _"Would you relax Seedbag? You're making me tired… Let's see what we have to eat"_ Naruto yawned and went into the kitchen. It was small and he was thankful for that. Everything was within reach thanks to his step Stoll. He made himself some instant ramen, grumbling about how long it took, and happily slurped his noodles and drank the wondrous broth it bathed in.

After he had dinner and took a shower, Naruto went to bed. He looked at the ceiling and just lied in bed. He couldn't get the tips Sasuke gave him out of his mind. He even practiced his wrist movements. He flexed his wrist in various directions. He took the shuriken from under his pillow out and just gripped it. He hardly ever gave the tool much thought. Whenever he had one in his hand, it was almost instinct to just throw it. Had to be faster than the other ninja right?

Naruto spent the night just getting familiar with both a shuriken and kunai. He never once threw it. He ended up falling asleep with both weapons in hand. He woke up the next morning earlier than usual. He got ready, had a ramen breakfast and checked on Flowey. It was still in a cocoon and didn't seem to have any reactions.

Naruto left his apartment and raced off to the Hokage Monument. The sun was just rising over the Fourth Hokage's head when the blonde arrived. It truly was spectacular, but the Blonde Jinchūriki was on a mission. He went behind the monument where dense, uninhabited, forests stood. **"This place is chalk full of the First Hokage's Chakra… The Senju were blessed with plentiful Yang Chakra… Above your head for now. I bet this is where he would practice his Wood Release jutsus."**

" _So you mean to tell me all these trees were not only made by the First Hokage, but his Chakra is STILL inside of them?!"_ Naruto was stupefied! **"Yeah so? The only thing we have to worry about are the trees possibly sensing my Chakra and attacking us out of its nature. I left a pretty 'lasting' impression on both your First Hokage and his Chakra. You can relax though. Not enough of my Chakra seeps out to where you would register as more than a mere human."** That didn't feel Naruto with the hope Kyūbi implied it should. Swallowing his fears, Naruto trekked down the flight of stairs into the dense forest. It truly did feel alive, but it didn't… Feel threatening.

"Hello Mr. Forest… I'm going to practice my shurikenjutsu here… So if you have a problem with that let me know now…" Naruto stated to seemingly no one. He waited for a response and got none. "I didn't hear a no…" with that the blonde boy trekked deeper into the forest. The forest did NOT look like a normal forest. The trees… They were too thick… Too lush and for sure too tall to be natural.

"This is as good a spot as any…" Naruto shrugged. He put down his bag and pulled out his ninja tools. "Man… I forgot this place doesn't have targets already set up… Man how am I… Well then…" Naruto could say no more. It was as if the forest knew what he needed. Targets literally formed from the trees!

"Thanks Mr. Forest!" Naruto cheered! He took out a shuriken first. He practiced his grip first and then his wrist. Once he had a feel for it, he threw his weapon with a flick of his wrist! It sailed through the air and actually managed to hit the target a little! It even lodged in instead of bouncing off! **"Ooo… You can hit the outside of the bullseye…"** _"Shut up, Seedbag! Progress is progress… I just need to practice more… You'll see…"_ Kyūbi saw alright. It saw Naruto practice over and over again. The forest even helped out by rising the target should Naruto get close to scoring. Naruto took back his thanks and cursed the cheating forest up until he had to leave for school.

Midway through grumbling about the cheating Forest, Naruto realized he had forgot to pack a lunch! He didn't have time to go back home and get some instant ramen. He sighed and just continued to the Academy…

Hinata Hyūga was walking to the Academy in bright spirits. One might believe it was because she was the highest scoring Kunoichi in her class with a solid A average. Her only rival was Sakura Haruno, who somehow managed to get a S grade in Academics, though the physical grades were the only reason Sakura was not the higher. Really the grade meant nothing to her or her father. "An Heiress is supposed to score high and should not be praised for doing what should come natural."

Hinata was in high spirits because she was unescorted and would be for the foreseeable future. Her guardian, Kurenai Yuhi, managed to convince her clan that Hinata was capable of going to school without an escort. Making a point that the Hyūga did have the Byakugan, or the All-Seeing Eye and therefore shouldn't have to worry something might happen to her without them seeing or knowing.

Hinata had woke up early and made herself a hearty breakfast to eat and enough lunch for herself and… Her favorite blonde 'friend'. The Clan Cooks always thought it sweet their heiress both made her own meals and helped them prepare meals for the Head Family. "That's a lot of food for just you, Hinata-sama. Are you positive you will finish it all? It is unlike you to waste food." Hinata still blushed when she thought of how the cooks teased her like that. She probably shouldn't have told her it was for someone else…

Soon both kids were in class and sitting next to each other. Dango didn't bother with assigned seats. You sat where you want and if someone tried to take your seat, you defended it. Honestly, Mitsuki-Sensei's class wasn't boring. It was just brutal. The guy was observant. Really, really observant. He made every lesson 'realistic' so to speak.

Dango started the class with math lessons. He wrote an equation on the board. "This equation will tell you where this 'shows them a kunai' will go. You know the drill. You have 10 minutes." It was on! Shikamaru and Sakura finished almost at the same time, with the Nara finishing first. Both relaxed knowing the answer and thus the target. Next was Hinata, who wanted to warn the target, but didn't need her Byakugan active to know Mitsuki-Sensei was watching her specifically. Naruto tirelessly tried to solve the equation as fast as he could, but gave up in favor of following his gut. He ducked underneath his desk with 5 more minutes to spare.

"There is no way that knucklehead solved the equation…" Dango stated. He walked over and looked at Naruto's paper, it was a drawing of a Chibi Naruto flipping him the bird and blowing raspberries at him. _"I am mad I actually think this is a cool drawing…"_

"This is why you are failing math…" Dango half scalded the blonde. "I always know when you aim for me so am I really failing?"

"The F in my grade book says you are, but you get an A in surviving and that counts for something." Dango admitted. The following Math class consisted of various tests that mixed shinobi skill with mathematics. Once the last test was completed, Dango switched to Language Arts/Calligraphy. He instructed the students on proper penmanship and going over certain Kanji. They had to practice writing their names, and the kanji for explode, seal, fire, and barrier. Naruto actually liked the class. Sure he sucked for most of the year, but he got it eventually. He even drew spirals just to be funny.

Next came Science, starting with Biology. The only reason Naruto paid even an ounce of attention in that class was because it talked about pressure points and other areas of the body. It also talked about the various body types and which work outs would benefit said type the most. Geology talked about the Five Elemental Nations and a few Continents beyond. Chemistry talked about how things react to other things. It was important sure, but it didn't interest Naruto that much. Required too much reading and not enough practical skill.

That is where Physical Ed came in. The students were lead to an Obstacle Course located in a room in the Academy. It had all manners of obstacles designed to truly test the students stamina, endurance, agility, and flexibility. When it came to both stamina and endurance, none scored as high as Naruto. He didn't get that A for nothing after all. Agility was Sasuke's strong suit, while Hinata truly excelled at flexibility. After that class, the students were allowed lunch. It was the only time they were allowed to truly be children and socialize.

Naruto tried to quiet his aching stomach. Perhaps another round of Obstacles could get his mind off food. Hinata shyly fiddled with the extra lunch she brought. She almost just left to eat alone, when she heard Naruto's stomach groan along with him.

"Naruto-kun… Did… Do you have a lunch?" Hinata asked timidly. She was afraid of his rejection for some reason. How could he turn her innocent question into something negative? She didn't know, but meekness didn't always make sense.

"I… Kind of forgot…" Naruto admitted. A cold sweat dripped from his head and he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. Hinata could only giggle, _"Sounds like something you would do, Naruto-kun…"_

"Well… In that case… If you don't mind that is… Um… I… Have extra… If you want it I… Wouldn't mind sharing…" Hinata struggled to get out. Geez! Shouldn't the boy act all goofy around the pretty girl? Maybe Naruto didn't think she was as pretty as Sakura was. Was it the pink hair? Normal looking eyes?

"Wow you're a lifesaver, Hinata! I don't know I'd do without you!" Naruto cheered. He did the only thing he knew to do in these situations. He hugged the lavender-eyed girl and accepted the lunch box. It was all so neat and presentable. Hinata was literally frozen in bliss. Her face red hot and her mind frozen on the fact Naruto hugged her. Naruto had never hugged any other girl! She was his first hug! Naruto was densely unaware and happily ate the lunch.

"Aw man, Hinata! This is awesome! Did you make this yourself? Wow! You show me how to cook like this sometime!" Naruto offered without realizing what he said. Hinata did though. It snapped her out of her daze. "You… Want me… to teach you to cook?..." hearing Hinata say it back made him realize what he said.

"Well… Yeah. I mean I know you're busy with your clan and all… You know it was dumb to ask… Thanks for the lunch Hinata…" Naruto actually bowed as a show of both gratitude and respect before he made to leave. Kō Hyūga, her previous bodyguard, words still haunted him. Kō was right. Hinata was an heiress, basically royalty and him? Naruto was a clanless orphan. Seeing Naruto's usual bright blue eyes dim with rejection hurt Hinata more than she thought it should. Naruto seemed to bright and warm to be rejected, especially by her.

"WAIT NARUTO-KUN!" Hinata called out. The fact Hinata actually yelled for him stopped Naruto in his tracks. He didn't even know Hinata could yell.

"It wasn't dumb of you to ask. Thank you for complimenting my cooking. Also… I… I wouldn't mind teaching you to cook… Just let me ask my guardian. Her name is Kurenai Yuhi and isn't as strict as my clan." Hinata told him. To calm her nerves, Hinata would poke her fingers together. It was a gesture everyone teasingly dubbed her 'Shy Girl Fingers'

"Alright! Thanks Hinata! I'll be the best cooking apprentice you ever had!" Naruto cheered! He couldn't believe he would be able to hang with someone outside the Academy! The bell for class rang and everyone walked into the forest around the Academy for the final class of the day: shurikenjutsu. They made their way to an area with targets and sets of shuriken and kunai ready. Groups of three were allowed 20 throws to hit the targets to the best of their abilities. Sasuke dominated the class with perfect bullseye each throw. Most of the class averaged 7 bullseye with 13 misses. Naruto usually got no bullseye, but shocked himself and Sasuke when he got 5 bullseye with 15 misses and 2 of the 15 were inches short.

After their last class, all the students met up with their parents or guardians and went home. Some would tell tales of what they learned and others were just happy to be out. Naruto sat at his usual swing watching the kids interact with their parents. It looked nice; having people who cared about you.

"This is Naruto-kun, Kurenai-san. He asked if I could teach him cooking skills. Is that alright?" Hinata asked timidly. Kurenai gave the blonde Jinchūriki a calculating look. She personally had nothing against the blonde kid; it was the demon he held that gave her pause. Should the Hyūga find out their Heiress was hanging around and friendly with the Kyūbi Jinchūriki… "Sure, Hinata-chan. Your friend, Naruto is more than welcome to come over and learn cooking. It is a vital skill all ninja should know."

"For reals?! Yes! You rock, Kurenai-nē-chan!" Naruto cheered! He finally had a friend! A real friend who wanted him around and wanted to hang out and do things like he always wanted!

"Nē-chan is a pretty strong honor for someone you just met don't you think, Naruto-san?" Kurenai asked with a giggle. She didn't mind, she just wanted to gauge the boy.

"You're one of the nicest adults I've come across. I'm not big on titles and honorifics, but I use them when I feel they are deserved. Is that ok?" Naruto asked. His reluctance to use honorifics really stemmed from not having learned them or seeing much of a point for them. He considered titles a waste since all they did was give people Big Heads of cockiness. Who cared if he was an Academy Student or even just a Genin?

Naruto would he strong regardless. Ranks and titles are passed out anyway and he figured as a Jinchūriki, a living weapon as Kyūbi put it, the Council wouldn't want him too far to keep an eye. He scoffed at the mere notion that the village Council could contain him. That was all the more reason not to let anyone know he knew about his status. Ignorance gave him more freedom than them knowing and monitoring him more heavily.

The trio walked to Kurenai's humble abode. It was a traditional Japanese themed home big enough for a family of 4. Once inside, they took off their sandals and Hinata led Naruto to the backyard. They had time before it was time to start dinner. Hinata also didn't start the Hyūga brand of training until nighttime.

"So wanna play ninja tag? I can go hide! I'll find you too easy. You smell like lilacs and it is real strong." Naruto suggested. Hinata slyly took a whiff of herself, but couldn't smell anything. "What… Do you mean I smell strong?!..."

"Everybody has a scent ya know? I can't really smell mine, so maybe you can't smell yours? Anyway you smell like lilacs and no matter what, I can smell it over all the other scents around. So it is strong. I actually like it! It's my friend's scent." Naruto admitted. He tended to ignore most people's scents and he didn't tell anyone about his heightened senses or his emotion sensory because he didn't really have anyone to talk to about it. Well excluding the Kyūbi, but that didn't count since it was most likely responsible for said abilities.

"I see… I don't think ninja tag is a far game for either of us… You can… Smell me… I can see you…" Hinata struggled to finish, but managed to squeak it out.

"Nuh uh! I'm the best at hide and seek! No one ever finds me!" Naruto boasted. **"Hard to find someone you're not looking for…"** Naruto had to force back the vein that threatened to burst from his forehead.

"It wouldn't matter where you hide. My clan's fabled Byakugan can see through walls among other feats." Hinata stated without stuttering. Naruto couldn't believe such hype.

"Really? Is that why your eyes are that way? Are they active now? Can you like… See through clothes?" Naruto asked with a perverse blush and flat line expression. Hinata's head got so red Naruto thought he saw steam shoot from her ears!

"They are not active right now and I would NEVER use my Byakugan for such a thing! I am a lady, Naruto-kun…" Hinata defended. Naruto chuckled sheepishly, "Ya sorry, Hinata… So what do Hyūga do for fun?" Hinata had to think about that. The only time Hyūga even gathered was to spar or host events. So their idea of fun were formal ceremonies…

"Well… We like to train our Clan jutsu… Senbon Sparring is our main form of entertainment, but it is reserved for the night. It consists of sparring around a thousand times in succession." Hinata explained. Naruto paled, _"Dear Kami! She has to spar 1,000 times a night!? No wonder she is the best Kunoichi…"_

"Well… That sounds like a Hyūga thing and I don't want to get you in trouble. Old Man Hokage once said that clans are real secretive about their rituals and stuff. Why don't we just use the time to really test our stuff… How far can you see?" Naruto asked. Hinata had to think about that. Her Byakugan was still weak compared to others like Neji…

"Not… Too far… About 0.1 mile… Or 580 feet to be exact…" Hinata hung her head in shame. Her cousin Neji was able to easily see at least ½ mile at his age of ten!

"Well I'm not good with numbers… So I will go as far as I can smell you. Tag me with this kunai *hands Hinata a toy kunai* if you can!" Naruto explained before he raced off. Hinata giggled and did a hand sign to focus her Chakra. The telltale signs of her Byakugan was active showed and Hinata locked onto Naruto's Chakra Signature. The young Hyūga was legitimately shocked at how much Naruto had for a boy his age. He almost had as much as her father!

By the time Naruto couldn't smell Hinata anymore, he had reached Hinata's vision range limit. She pushed and strained to keep a lock on him. It felt scary not being able to see Naruto's Chakra Signature. That fear drove her to extend her sight just a few more feet and then with a precise flick of her wrist. The toy kunai flew and Naruto caught it.

The two kids played their version of ninja tag until the sky was orange. They went into the kitchen. There the lesson consisted of Hinata showing Naruto each step she took when preparing the dish they would eat: Hamburg, boiled eggs, steamed vegetables, and miso soup. Naruto was amazed at how simple and cheap the ingredients were!

When the table was set, the steaming Hamburger Steak and vegetables made a truly appetizing sight. "Itadakimasu!" Naruto dug in with no regard for manners. Kurenai swiftly corrected him and showed him how to eat properly. She knew it would take several more lessons, which meant the blonde Jinchūriki would be a staple in her household.

" _Well I pride myself on my open-mindedness. What better way to see the true character of the Kyūbi Jinchūriki than have him around you all the time?"_ Kurenai nodded to herself. She took the time to write Naruto a grocery list so he could make the dishes they had. Hinata promised to teach him to make it the next day and however long it took him to learn. When the moon rose and the sky was starry, Kurenai had to escort Hinata to her Clan Estate. Naruto waved them goodbye and walked to his apartment.

That night was like none he had ever had in his young life. The acceptance, the caring, dare he say it?... No… It was too soon to trust the positive emotions they brought. She brought. There had to be some negative; there always was. He walked into his apartment, threw his sandals wherever, and washed away the days grime. He checked on Flowey, which was still unreactive. When he got in bed. He thought about Hinata… "Sunny Place huh? Sounds like a nice name for a nice girl…"

A month went by faster than the Fourth Hokage's infamous Flying Thunder God. Naruto learned to cook Hamburg and even Tempura thanks to Hinata. His table manners needed work, but he actually got more into it when he realized that eating slower and smaller bites helped you really taste the food. His grades even improved to where his D average was bumped up to a solid C! Hinata helped him in Biology and Geology when she had the time and Sasuke's tips really helped him improve his shurikenjutsu. With the final grades in, Naruto was happy to say he passed!

He would be moving into the second year with Hinata and really start to get into what made ninjas so special: Chakra and Affinities! Too bad he failed to realize that it wouldn't be as fun or as simple as he wished to believe…


	3. Chapter 3

Naruto the Natural Sage

It was summertime in Konohagakure and yet the Second Year of the Academy was still in session. There was no rest for the ninja. The heat usually worked up a sweat, if the students didn't do so during their Chakra development classes. The first month was spent teaching the kids how to unlock their Chakra. The best way was to first explain the energy itself.

Chakra is essential to even the most basic technique. Through various methods, the most common of which are hand seals, chakra can be controlled and manipulated to create an effect that would not be possible otherwise, such as walking on water, exhaling fire, or creating illusions. Chakra is ordinarily not visible to the unaided eye unless it is highly concentrated or manifested in large amounts. This is rarely seen due to the restrictions of eight specific tenketsu known as the Eight Gates, which limit the amount of chakra an individual can release at a single given time.

The two components of chakra are physical energy and spiritual energy. Chakra has become a form of life energy that all individuals produce to some degree; those who run out of chakra will die. Produced within the "chakra coils" that mainly surround and connect to each chakra-producing organ, the energy circulates throughout the body in a network called the "Chakra Pathway System", which is similar to the cardiovascular system.

Certain groups, such as shinobi and samurai, have learned to generate more chakra and release it outside their bodies through pressure points called tenketsu in order to perform jutsu.

Chakra is created when two other forms of energy, known collectively as one's "stamina", are molded together. Physical energy is collected from each and every one of the body's cells and can be increased through training, stimulants, and exercise. Students thus needed strong bodies to help boost said energy. Their bodies were 'encouraged' through exercise and drills. The basic stances and proper motions for punches and kicks were drilled to repetition.

Spiritual energy is derived from the mind's consciousness and can be increased through studying, meditation, and experience. Students 'stimulated' their minds with brain busters and meditative periods. Those who could not be still, Naruto, were given menial tasks to bore and annoy him.

These two energies becoming more powerful will in turn make the created chakra more powerful. All the students had their Chakra unlocked and then measured to see where development should begin. It was a simple task thanks to a special type of paper. Similar to Chakra Induction Paper, Chakra Reactive Paper does as the name says. It reacts to one's Chakra. The more you put in, the higher Rank you are given. The ranks ranged from E (Academy Level) to S (Kage Level). Most of the students ranked between E and low D (Genin Level) while some of the others, read Clan kids, scored higher.

Sasuke was a high D, borderline C (Chūnin Level). Shikamaru was a med D. Choji was a solid C. Kiba was a med D, high D when you added his partner, Akamaru. Hinata was the only girl with higher than an E while a solid D. None came close to Naruto, who was a high B (Special-Jōnin Level) borderline A (Jōnin Level)! At only 9, going on 10, years old! For those with higher levels, development was not really needed.

At any given time, a ninja will have a "maximum" amount of chakra that they can form and use before it runs out and they need to rest to replenish it. With practice this maximum can be increased, but to a certain extent as they are limited to the quantity and strength of chakra that their genetics grants them. The students were also introduced to the Elemental Chakra Wheel so to become better acquainted with them. The cycle went: FireWindLightningEarthWaterFire. Once they had a better understanding of the Elemental Wheel, they were given Chakra Induction Paper to test their affinities. Most of the class had either a Fire or Earth affinity. Some even had more than one. All reactions were explained, with the rare chance of dual affinities having both reactions at once. Sub-affinities showed after the first instead of with it.

Fire and the paper burned. Wind and it split in half. Lightning and it crinkled up. Earth and it turned to dirt. Water and it got wet. Yang, for those who had said affinity, would make the paper pure white. Yin would make the paper turn pitch black.

Sakura had a fire affinity with a sub-affinity to earth. Choji had an affinity for Yang release. The Akimichi were known for using Yang release in their clan secret jutsus. He also had a sub-affinity for earth. Shikamaru had an affinity for Yin release. He also had a sub-affinity for earth. Ino had an affinity for Yin release and had a sub-affinity for lightning. Hinata had an affinity for fire and a sub-affinity for lightning.

Shino had an affinity for Yang release and a sub-affinity for earth. Kiba was pathetic and no one cared about him… Kidding. He had a Yang release affinity. Sasuke had dual affinities. Rare even among clans! He had lightning and, shockingly, water affinities with a sub-affinity for fire. It was a sore spot for the last Uchiha, but he vowed to make it his own. Naruto, well he continued to surprise. He too had dual affinities for wind and fire affinities. His yang release was considered a pseudo affinity with how high it was.

Whenever the students weren't training their bodies and skills (shurikenjutsu, Team Building, and Hand Seals) they trained their minds. A part of that training involved general education in their affinity. The various sciences along with practical experience with said affinity helped foster a better understanding of the elements. It was midday and Naruto was in his Atmospheric Science class.

While the blonde Jinchūriki liked the class since the instructor, Iruka Umino, knew what he was talking about. Naruto didn't have any friends in the class. Wind release was rare and those in his class were more drifty than a Nara, but no where near as cool. Plus Iruka tended to go on rants…

Naruto long since learned to tune him out and learn the true lessons of the class through Iruka's infamous, Wind Release: Sonic Scream Jutsu. It sounded like a gag, but it was effective. Send a rush of wind release chakra that is strong enough to deflect kunai in mid air. Or smoke pellets, chili bombs, raw eggs that one time. Naruto chuckled when he saw the veins bulge on Iruka's head.

"Tell me Naruto… What has you so occupied that you can't pay attention to my lesson? You may think you can skate by with your practical grade, but if you fail the academic, or written portion then you'll fail. Period." Iruka challenged. He held no grudge against the blonde kid. A lot of the hype over the Kyūbi had begun to die down. Naruto wasn't a menace. He actually came to class and while his academics were low, he always showed promise in the practical portions. The only reason Iruka was so hard on him was because the blonde idiot reminded him of himself. The scar on his face burned as memories of a different, more foolish Iruka, flashed by.

"You need to use your head, Naruto. You can't rely on physical strength alone. You have to think and I don't mean on the fly; at least not all the time. Try not to be predictable or a One-trick Pony. Be diverse… Are you listening!?" Iruka hit him with the Sonic Scream causing the blonde Jinchūriki to slam into the wall.

"Jeez, Iruka-Sensei. No need to drive me into the wall. I'll think about it, that cool?" Naruto asked, freeing himself from the wall and dusting off any debris. Iruka just sighed and waited until Naruto sat down to finish his lecture. At the end of the class, Naruto slipped a note on Iruka's desk before leaving. To Iruka's surprise, it was all the notes he wrote down on the board and something else… a Kanji? For…! "He couldn't!"

Naruto grinned like a fox. He held the Seal of Confrontation (half-tiger/ram) and whispered, "Seal: Release!" the seal on the note released an explosion of orange itching powder with glitter mixed in. "NARUTO! HOW CAN YOU EVEN USE FŪINJUTSU?! THAT ISN'T FOR ANOTHER YEAR!"

" _When you have an overgrown Seedbag of a fox sealed in your gut. You get curious about seals and the art of Fūinjutsu…"_ Naruto thought to himself. Only person who knew he was studying it so soon was Hinata. He smiled when he thought of his next class. It was Fire Dynamics, one class they shared.

"Alright class listen up! I know it seems dumb trying to teach you the science behind fire. 'Duh. Everyone knows fire is hot and air feeds fire.' Well if you would shut up and listen! You'd see why Uchiha were known for Fire Release!" the class instructor, Izumi Uchiha barked. It was the one class Naruto and even Sasuke paid full attention to. Izumi was one of the rare Uchiha spared in the massacre. No one knew why, not even Izumi. When asked, all she would say was Itachi led her mother away and looked into her eyes with tears and a Sharingan she had never seen.

Out of reflex, her own Sharingan flared alive and tried to understand the Tsukuyomi. In it, she lived an entire life in what felt like a second. She was a wife. Had children… It was nice, but she was stronger than that night. She woke up to a grim reality… Thank the Third Hokage for saving her from that Decrepit War hawk. Izumi never turned off her Sharingan, unless knocked out. It was truly mesmerizing and taunting to one Sasuke. Especially since Izumi took it upon herself to adopt him; only seemed right given her bond with Itachi.

The class talked about the various flame retardant and conductive materials available, where to find them both locally and in foreign lands, and how much one would want in bulk for certain projects. Of course it wouldn't be much of a Fire Dynamics class without liberal use of, "Fire Release: Spitfire Jutsu!"

Izumi would have the students hold targets and run around. It was up to her to showcase the practicality of her field. Sasuke especially wanted to ensure his target wasn't… "Nice try, but you'll need a prayer to get past me!" his target was hit. Naruto laughed, until Izumi slapped a particular brand of sealing cloth, "Fūinjutsu: Cloth Binding Jutsu" The clothe wrapped around Naruto's mouth and a seal, kanji for silence, flashed alive. "No one likes a loudmouth, Naruto!"

Whoever was hit had to solve a fire related problem before time ran out. Said fire related problem varied. Sasuke had a literal fire bomb in his hands! He had to suck up the fire and hope it didn't roast him from the inside out! Naruto was swift to unseal the bindings on his mouth before they were burned. The kanji for silence had turned to burn while doing so.

Students were running around, but they might as well have stood still. Under Izumi's Sharingan they were all slow; some were just slower than others. The least slow was Hinata, but a few Spitfires led her right into a wall where she was pinned and Izumi hit her target. Flaming bindings wrapped around the Hyūga Heiress and she had to use the Binding Escape jutsu to free herself before the burning was too severe.

"I love the smell of burnt flesh in the morning…" Izumi sighed in content. She turned her head and shot a Spitfire that hit Sakura's target and melted through it and nailed her in the forehead. It burned a dot into her head that forced cries of pain from the Haruno girl. Izumi's clacking rang out for the rest of that hour.

Naruto and his friends were more than happy to go to their meditation. Each of them did so in their own way. While most, even Hinata, simply sat and meditated. Naruto preferred to, I shit you not, play Shogi with Shikamaru of all people! Naruto set up the board, as the loser of their last game. Shikamaru looked at the blonde and smirked. Naruto had come a long way since the beginning of the second year…

Seemed almost like yesterday, Naruto spent two weeks having to do menial labor. "This sucks! How can you all just sit there when you're just filled with youthful energy?!"

"Unlike you, Naruto, some of us don't have Jōnin levels of Chakra. Why don't you just relax. Play some Shoji with me. You might like it, it is nicknamed the General's Game." Shikamaru offered. He didn't expect Naruto to actually get interested. Somewhat surprised, the Nara explained the basics and what each of the pieces did. They played a few mock games, but that only served to annoy the Nara.

"How many times do I have to tell you NOT to play your Queen?! The Queen is the most important!" Shikamaru explained.

"I thought if you took my King the game was over?" Naruto asked confused. Shikamaru groaned in annoyance. He rubbed his temples trying to think of a way to explain until he finally got one.

"Alright. Let's say the pieces are people. The king is the most important guy to you." Shikamaru explained. Naruto didn't have to think about it too long.

"That's easy. Old Man Hokage, but what does that have to do with anything?" Naruto asked.

"Say the Third is your king. Would you rather have him fight for you or would you have one of your rooks fight to protect your King?" Shikamaru asked. His Dad always stressed that you ALWAYS protected the king. ALWAYS.

"No way! Old Man Hokage is stronger than me now, but without a Hokage the village would be destroyed!" Naruto panicked at the thought. It finally clicked to him what the game was, "Oh I get it now! It really is a general game… Kind of like playing ninja, but on a board with pieces… Ok…"

After that, Naruto really started playing and practicing. He didn't bother reading up on strategy or anything; studying using scrolls wasn't really his style. He went through a trial by fire. Challenging Shikamaru every chance he got. He always lost, but he managed to get Shikamaru to do his thinking pose a total of 3 times per game; which was cooler than it sounded…

Once the board was set, the two players began their battle. Each piece moved by Shikamaru was analyzed and calculated to the single most detail. Naruto long since stopped trying to outsmart the Nara and simply overwhelm him.

"I see you really can think and learn. Here I thought you were just an idiot." Shikamaru jested. He saw that Naruto was going for his Rooks with his lance. Naruto didn't mind using pieces to their fullest and putting them at risk for big takedowns. It was clever, most people were intimidated by the Nara's win streak. Naruto was not most people. He was the only opponent who came back. Too bad the Nara had been born with a Shogi board in hand.

"Yeah, yeah. Keep the king safe and all that crap. You seem mighty fond of your silver generals. Be a shame if I took them out…" Naruto taunted. Shikamaru's eyebrow twitched in annoyed realization. The blonde was aiming for his silver general, but in doing so opened up his rooks… It was a complex game indeed. A true battle of wits. Shikamaru's Cunning Genius against Naruto's Trickster Plotting truly tested both, but the Cunning Genius managed to win yet again.

"Perhaps you can beat Shikamaru-san one day, Naruto-kun. I noted that he had to really think at least four times to win instead of the usual two." Hinata cheered up her sulking blonde friend. Hinata patting his back made him feel better. "Yeah. I just had to grieve for all the ninja I lost in that match… I did take out both his silver generals!" that made both the blonde boy and lavender eyed girl laugh. Shikamaru just sighed, but smiled nonetheless. _"Bastard went after and took out my favorite pieces… Their mobility is bested only by the king and gold generals. They're usually the most ignored of the higher ranks, which is why I like them. Now I'll have to find a new favorite piece… What a drag… At least it doesn't suck TOO much…"_

"You just had to make it personal, huh Naruto?" Shikamaru sighed. Naruto just flashed his foxy grin.

"Well duh! I had to avenge every pawn, rook, and lance you took from me! A checkmate woulda been better, but personal victories are still something." Naruto shrugged. Once the board was put up, the trio left for lunch. Naruto was beaming with excitement. Shikamaru actually chuckled.

"I've never seen anyone out eat Choji in anything. Yet here you are, challenging to a Favorite Food Contest. Choji's favorite vs. Your favorite food." Shikamaru stated. Hinata just sighed. She never understood boys' need to outdo each other. Especially since both boys had the table manners of Tasmanian Devils.

"This is more than an eating contest, Shika… This a battle of the Mascots! I am putting my job, Ramen Ichiraku, against Choji's Yakiniku Q! I even made the ramen myself. All 10lbs of ramen against 10lbs of Korean BBQ…" Naruto explained. His mind keen and focused on the prize. The winner had to eat at the others' restaurant for two whole years! They also had to bring friends once a week. That was good business! Old Man Ichiraku might have been a really penny pincher, but it made sense.

Hinata paled at the thought of them eating all that greasy food… "I'm just going to go... Doesn't matter you're not paying attention…" With that, the Hyūga Heiress went to go look for flowers to press. Call it her hobby, it was something to talk to Ino about anyway. Aside from being a gossip, the Yamanaka was the best at finding flowers. It came with living in a flower shop district. Sakura usually tagged along too. Ino had a bet going around as to who would break out of their shell first: Sakura or Hinata? Both were shy, but Hinata seemed quieter.

During lunch, Choji's parents and a few other Akimichi came to see who had the gut to challenge an Akimichi in an eating contest of all things.

"My look at him, Honey. Poor dear is so small… Where do you suppose it will all go?" Choji's Mom, Aki Akimichi, wondered. Choza Akimichi laughed boisterously. "Trust me my dear, Aki. That kid has an almost bottomless gut… This should be good."

Naruto and Choji smirked at one another. A challenger unlike no other stood before them. The fear. The anticipation only a true battle of the biggest stomach could give. They would be full, but only one would be full of victory. A Chūnin Instructor refereed the event. The plates were set and both boys' stomachs growled at the other… "Begin!"

The crowd was in a stunned awe. Both boys were digging and gulping/slurping the food done like their lives depended on it! "Eat that Rib, Choji-kun! Remember what we taught you! Clean the meat off those bones!" his mother cheering him on had the effect of speeding the Akimichi up! Naruto was not deterred. He thought about the Ichiraku family briefly. How Teuchi had offered him a job after he had to clean the shop when he couldn't pay for his food. Being around all those smells, the ingredients needed, and seeing him make it. Naruto needed to know how to make ramen. True ramen and not that instant stuff.

"You better not lose, Naruto-kun! We can't afford to lose our favorite customer/worker!" Ayame cheered. Naruto stopped when he heard the voice and took a swift second to look and see Ayame Ichiraku cheering him on. She had to have came on her own lunch break to see the contest. He had forgotten he told them about it. It was weird having someone cheer for him. The praise… It inspired him! Both boys were down to 1 lb. of food. They struggled to even lift their utensils.

" **Ugh! I told you to limit how much of this crap you call food! It takes longer to burn since it is just bullshit and I can't turn it into nutrients. The price for today will be two weeks without ramen!"** Kyūbi declared. It used some of its Chakra to boost Naruto's Uzumaki genes in healing, or in this case purging, his body of all that ramen. Once he had more room, Naruto ate the last pound of food before Choji.

"Winner of the Food Contest: Naruto Uzumaki!" the Chūnin Instructor declared. Ayame cheered the loudest, but even the Akimichi were applauding and whistling. It was not everyday you saw some kid out eat the heir of the Akimichi clan. Naruto sloth over to Choji and the two traded friendly gestures. Whether he knew it or not, Naruto endeared himself to the Akimichi.

Once lunch was over, Naruto and the gang went to their joint Hand Seal training class. The class worked by tying rope knots around each of their fingers and joints. They were then given a single hand seal to perform under a certain amount of time and hold it for a certain amount of time. The students had to repeat the hand seals in random fashion and sequences. They were instructed not to release the built Chakra the seals brought, but to become familiar with it.

"Tori!" The Chūnin Instructor called out! The students all struggled and formed the correct, Bird, hand seal and held it despite their binds. Naruto felt his Chakra get lighter, almost like the wind.

"I!" The Chūnin Instructor called out! The students relaxed the Bird hand seal and flexed into the Boar hand seal; holding it until further told. Choji felt his Chakra get fuller, almost like it was vitality itself.

"Inu!" The Chūnin Instructor called out! The students relaxed the Boar hand seal and flexed into the Dog hand seal. Sasuke felt his Chakra get refreshed, almost like he was swimming.

"Tatsu!" The Chūnin Instructor called out! The students relaxed the Dog hand seal and flexed the Dragon hand seal. Both Ino and Sakura felt their Chakra unify, their bodies and mind felt aligned as one.

"Ushi!" The Chūnin Instructor called out! The students relaxed the Dragon hand seal and flexed the Ox hand seal. Shino felt his Chakra get harder, almost like it was petrifying.

"Tori!" The Chūnin Instructor called out! The students relaxed the Ox hand seal and flexed the Tiger hand seal. Hinata felt her Chakra blaze alive like a roaring flame!

"Mi!" The Chūnin Instructor called out! The students relaxed the Tiger hand seal and flexed the Snake hand seal. Sasuke felt his Chakra spark to life like a blast of plasma!

"Ne!" The Chūnin Instructor called out! The students relaxed the Snake hand seal and flexed the Rat hand seal. Shikamaru felt his Chakra twist and turn chaotically, though his mind grew sharper and more keen.

"Uma!" The Chūnin Instructor called out! The students relaxed the Rat hand seal and flexed the Horse hand seal. Hinata and Sakura felt their Chakra get softer and more pleasant to feel flow through their bodies.

"Saru!" The Chūnin Instructor called out! The students relaxed the Horse hand seal and flexed the Monkey hand seal. Naruto felt his Chakra spike along with his hairs.

"U!" The Chūnin Instructor called out! The students relaxed the Monkey hand seal and flexed the Hare hand seal. Hinata felt her Chakra get finer and more pure than usual.

"Hitsuji!" The Chūnin Instructor called out! The students relaxed the Hare hand seal and flexed the Ram hand seal. Naruto felt his Chakra actually seal up. The hand seals were drilled into the students' hands and muscles. At the end of the class, Shino scored a 2 (D or Genin rank), Choji scored a 1.5 (F or Academy rank), Sakura scored a got damn 3 (C or Chūnin rank), Hinata scored a 2, Kiba scored a 1.5, Shikamaru scored a 2.5, Sasuke scored a solid 3, Naruto a measly 1, and Ino a 2.5.

The final class was Shurikenjutsu, but different from the last school year. It wasn't just throwing, they added dodging. At least they were decent enough to give the students pads and body armor to protect their vitals. You got graded by both how many targets you hit on the gear of the other students, but also how many you dodged. Naruto dodged more than he hit, but he hit enough.

Once the final bell rang, Naruto waved goodbye to his friends and went to work at the Ichiraku Ramen. True he was a little young to be working, but in these hard times, certain laws were waivered if the need arises. Naruto was allowed to work since he was both an orphan and not in the orphanage.

"I'm here, Old Man Ichiraku! Did Ayame tell you how I scored more customers for the shop?" Naruto called out. He out on an apron and went into the kitchen where Teuchi was busy stirring a pot of steamy ramen. "You bet kid! To think you would the honor of my shop… I have never been more proud of an employee not my daughter." Despite himself, Teuchi shed some grateful tears. Ayame even came from behind and hugged the blonde with a few tender kisses on his whiskered cheeks.

Naruto's job was simple. Clean the shop, carry the boxes of inventory, he even got to help Ayame cook the ramen when Teuchi was too busy. Customers were steady and Choji even showed up with his folks. It wasn't a bad way for a 9 years old to spend his time. Come dusk, Naruto was let off and went home to rest. He walked through the village mostly ignored. He got home, took off his sandals, and went to check on Flowey. "Man Flowey. I half expected you to bloom by now." The Kyūbi induced plant had yet to fully blossom, but it did not stop growing. It was as tall as an adult man!

After washing away the grime of the day, Naruto lied in bed just content. He was better off than he ever had been. He had legitimate friends. He got invited to Kurenai's home frequently to spend time, study, even spar with Hinata. Shikamaru had invited him to his clan estate to play Shogi on numerous occasions. Naruto even saw some of the deer that roamed around the estate. Even Sasuke and Izumi weren't terrible; though the Tag Team matches Sasuke and Naruto had against Izumi were always painful.

"Maybe… Next year I'll have a real birthday party…" Naruto fantasized before he passed out. Summer soon transitioned into Fall. Months in the Academy steeled the students, but only those who endured would benefit the most. It was the evening of October 9th and the Hyūga Estate was shut down for the night. The guards were on high alert, but even they were blind to the specter that slinked into the compound. Down the halls, into the inner most sanctum of the Main Branch rooms. Hinata was fast asleep, resting from another day at the Academy and enduring her daily Senbon Sparring.

"So this is the kid's best friend huh?" the specter said to no one. It just looked over the Hyūga Heiress, left a note on her stand, and vanished in a swirl of leaves. The rustling woke Hinata up, but all she saw was the leftover leaves and the note on her stand. Due to her past trauma, sleep was out of the question. Luckily it was a Friday night.

Hinata got up and read the note, which simply said 'Naruto Uzumaki. Date of birth: October 10th.' Upon further inspection, she saw a seal. When she applied a little of her Chakra to unseal its contents, she found them to be a list of things Naruto likes, some money, and strangely enough a key with a note saying it was to Naruto's apartment.

Hinata's little heart exploded with all the juicy details the note held! She felt like she was cheating by reading all that seemed to make Naruto happy in the world. Then she started to ponder, _"Who knows Naruto-kun this well? I have tried since we met to learn his birthday… When Naruto-kun doesn't want you to know something, he is like stone."_ The eeriest part was it all seemed to add up. The list of party supplies, gift suggestions. Either Naruto himself told the person, or the person observed Naruto long enough to just know. The latter was scary, because that would mean they had been observing Naruto for a long time and she didn't even notice them! They even managed to get into her room…

Walking down the empty streets of Konoha on that fall night. A rather tall and fair skinned man checked something off a list. He ran his hands through his waist-length spiky red hair in a ponytail. "Let's see…" He rubbed his fingers down the two white lines that stretched from his eyes down to his chin.

"I left notes at the Hyūga Princess, the Last Uchiha Brat, the Nara Nerd, the Akimichi Boy, the Shady Aburame Boy, the Yamanaka's Flower Girl, the Haruno Girl… Am I missing anyone?... Oh right! The Inuzuka… It might be too soon though. I have been absent long enough…" the red haired man said. He slung the large bundle from his waist to his back. Tomorrow promised to be one hell of a day…

Naruto woke up like he did any other day. He didn't bother saying happy birthday to himself. It felt like any other day, why? Call him crazy, but everyday he woke up felt special to him. Another day. Another opportunity and challenge to overcome! He freshened up, ate a simple breakfast that didn't include ramen, and left to get some training in. Weekends were good days for Naruto to practice areas he was either failing or could do better in. He was still in the failing zone, but he didn't let academics keep him down!

Hinata felt bad… Her Byakugan was actively watching Naruto. She knew exactly where he was headed and was thankful it was both in her field of vision and she had enough control of her Chakra to ensure he would not sneak up on them. "Ok… He's gone." That's all Ino needed to hear.

"Easy! With Hinata on look out, we'll have all the time we need to get the party ready… It'll be beautiful… Imagine Naruto's surprise when he comes home to the first birthday he has probably ever had!" Ino cheered! Seemed a bit out of character for the usually self-centered Yamanaka Princess. Let the record state that Ino in no way liked Naruto like she did Sasuke… She did love throwing and going to parties though! Not to mention, Naruto frequented the flower shops of her district. Who knew he liked gardening?

"Yeah. I mean Naruto can be an annoying loudmouth, but everyone deserves to have a good birthday!" Sakura declared. Time with Ino and Hinata opened the minor clan girl up. The Haruno were no major clan known since the Warring Era. There numbers ranked 3. Her parents were both shinobi/kunoichi, but neither held rank or merit. It was a sore spot for the first year and then some… Then she saw students like Naruto. Who dared to stand to anyone, even someone as notable as The Sasuke Uchiha!

"Good thing I sent Shikamaru with Choji and Shino to get the food while we got the supplies… We have work to do…" Ino declared. They opened the door to Naruto's apartment and were surprised by the place. It was what you would expect from a boy. A few clothes strung about here or there, but it wasn't messy nor did it smell bad. It just had… A rather strong feeling to it. "Why does it feel so intense here? Almost… Energetic?"

"Well… Naruto-kun is rather energetic himself… It is coming from his bedroom… Something is in there… Something big and giving off a weird Red Chakra… Let's just avoid that room. It seems to be resting, but ready." Hinata warned. The gossip in Ino screamed to disobey, but her Kunoichi Instincts begged her to heed Hinata's warning. "Yeah… We have the rest of place to decorate anyway! Let's get started ladies!"

Meanwhile Naruto was deep in the woods doing the unthinkable! He was studying! From a scroll no less! Why? Why would Naruto EVER read from a scroll?! It held a spiral crest on it. Inside was a note from someone claiming to be the closest thing to family he had left. Had all this information, documents; including, but not limited to, the lease to his freaking apartment! He even had photos of him from times even Naruto couldn't remember!

Whoever the person was made it clear they were busy, but determined to have a more active and personal role in his life. It started with the scroll on Fūinjutsu. Much as one would expect a book on the art of sealing jutsu to be, the book was sealed so you had to learn how to unseal and get to the next level. After a few months with the book, all those Calligraphy classes finally paid off! He always had an interest in Fūinjutsu, but was limited. He was currently testing out his Fūinjutsu: Fūnyū no jutsu (Sealing Art: Enclosing Technique). It was essential to most seals. It worked by using your Fūinjutsu, which commonly formed via the Ram hand seal, Chakra to store other objects into a specific object; generally a scroll.

Naruto was testing his Enclosing jutsu on small bits of Kyūbi Chakra, at said beast's request. **"My Flower Self will need sustenance once bloomed."** Naruto just rolled his eyes, _"When is that happening again? I feel like I am waiting for a stork or something…"_ The Kyūbi cut off the flow once it sensed the scroll had enough. Naruto drew the necessary kanji both effortless and swiftly and it glowed bright red for a second and dimmed black. Rolling up the scroll, Naruto stored it in his satchel; yet another gift from the mysterious relative.

Suddenly, Naruto's senses alerted him in time to avoid shuriken in the back. Naruto dashed behind the thick trees for cover. "You're getting better at dodging, Doofus." Naruto actually chuckled at the taunt.

"Oh Prince Gloom… You're getting sloppy! I heard it coming a mile away!" Naruto jeered. "It's called a distraction. Look it up after you look at my, Fire Release: Great Fireball jutsu!" in the time Sasuke spoke, his hands flashed on the final Tiger hand seal and he blew out a great ball of fire at the stunned Uzumaki. **"Don't stand and gawk you fool! Seal that firefly's shit of a fireball into a scroll! The Chakra I had you seal away was worth 3 of his fireballs easily!"**

" _Don't have to tell me twice!"_ Naruto swiftly pulled out a blank scroll and performed the Enclosing jutsu on the Flaming Ball. Both jutsus struggled for dominance, much to Sasuke's shock. Which turned to disbelief when he saw his fireball literally be sucked into the scroll. Naruto drew the kanji to seal it, but he wasn't used to the foreign Chakra. He had no choice but to throw it into the air and let it burn up harmlessly.

"Where did you learn that?!" Both boys asked at the same time.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball jutsu is… Was a rite of passage in my clan. I learned it before… You know… So where did you learn that Fūinjutsu? I know we haven't covered it and even the library has limited material on the subject for students of our level." Sasuke deduced. Naruto just shrugged.

"A couple of months ago, a guy I don't know and haven't seen claims to be family. Gave me a scroll on Fūinjutsu. Say mind teaching me that cool fireball ninjutsu?!" Naruto asked excitedly. Sasuke wanted to say no, but that Enclosing jutsu did seem useful. Besides, _"I read the records… I thought the Uzumaki Clan was either a myth, or that Naruto couldn't be one. Uzumaki were known for their red hair. Then again, Fūinjutsu and longevity were also their trademarks…"_

"Teach me the Enclosing jutsu and you have yourself a deal, Uzumaki." Sasuke offered. Naruto chuckled, "I would, if your calligraphy wasn't so sloppy. You write like a little brat, trying to be all fancy and wasting strokes." Several veins bulged from Sasuke's brow, but he managed to calm himself.

"You're one to talk. We do have the same Fire Dynamic class and from what you show, you lack any subtle hint of control. Your flames would burn the village to the ground and end up killing you too." Sasuke pointed out. **"The Uchiha Brat is right. You have no Chakra Control."**

"Grr! You're lucky I'm in a good mood today, Prince Gloom! I'll learn control and then that fireball!" Naruto declared. Sasuke looked at the blonde and couldn't help but smile. For a moment, he saw how he used to be. Then reality hit and his smile was robbed by his usual aloofness.

"Whatever, Doofus. Since you are such a good mood. Why not treat me to something to eat? If memory serves you owe me." Sasuke stated. "Yeah, yeah. I actually have been working on ramen with tomato sauce. It's a recipe I learned from some foreign cookbook the same person gave me. I can make it for us at my place." Sasuke just shrugged and let Naruto lead the way. The Uchiha had been to his place before. The times Izumi beat him unconscious he would have to carry him home. The Uchiha thought about the note in his pocket. It only said today was Naruto's birthday and to not tell him until they went to his house, strangely enough around that time.

When they made it to Naruto's apartment, the blonde noticed his door was already unlocked and went into ninja mood. He slyly opened the door and threw a smoke bomb into the apartment. The occupants started to cough until a wailing voice blew the smoke away, "Naruto! What's the big idea choking us when we threw you this party!" Party, but why? Sasuke just shrugged.

"Happy Birthday, Naruto Uzumaki." Sasuke said, patting the blonde on the shoulder and heading inside. Something felt strong in the place and he wanted to see what. Naruto couldn't help the tears that he shed. In his home was everyone he knew. Hinata, Old Man Hokage, the Ichirakus, Shikamaru, Choji, Ino, Sakura, Shino, Izumi, and of course Iruka. His bland apartment was decked out in fancy lamps, balloons, lanterns, light balls, streamers, and ribbons of orange and blue galore!

His kitchen was booming with exotic smells. Dishes he couldn't begin to understand, but still looked so delicious. So many traditional desserts he once believed were beyond him. All the effort. All the love… "Thanks Old Man Hokage… Thanks everyone…" he wiped his tears and smiled a true smile. These people were enough.

"You're welcome my boy, but I am not the one who organized all this. I am ashamed to say I have been too busy with my duties to keep more than a few promises I made… That changes now though. I can tell you all about the man behind this party, but for now I believe you have a party to attend." The Third Hokage explained. Naruto didn't need to be told twice. It was his party and he did whatever he wanted. He ate all kinds of sweets before his meal, because he wanted to taste the finer things for once. He had BBQ meats, he had ramen, he had meals prepared by Hinata and her cooks. For once, the Kyūbi did not complain about the gorging.

While the children played, the Third slinked into Naruto's room. Sasuke saw him, but couldn't get in once the Third Hokage sealed the door shut. It was beyond the young Uchiha to even hear what was going on the other side. He smacked his lips and went to try that tomato sauce ramen the Ichiraku girl had promised him…

"Well… Jizo-kun?" The Third asked. The red haired man was in Naruto's room. Flowey was close to blossoming and the stored Bijū Chakra was leaking out in waves! The only thing keeping it from getting out of hand and alerting not only the children, but most of the village were the seals Jizo literally kunai drove into its overgrown roots. Several Chakra Suppressing Seal Tags were slapped on the giant flower bud itself. Jizo lifted the spiral headband up to wipe the sweat from his brow.

"What the hell made the kid think harvesting Bijū Chakra was a good idea? How could you let this get to this point? This is basically a pseudo-Bijū, Old Man! In your village!" Jizo roared! The Third flashed a burst of his Chakra, but Jizo was unmoved.

"I see… The Fourth's death took its toll on you as well. You're too old for this. You wanted him to lead this current generation, but was forced to lead yet again… Must be hard." Jizo realized. Heavy was the head that wore the crown…

"This is no time to pity an old man. I have some years left in me to right my many wrongs… The first is gripping my fist tighter. How goes pulling the weeds?" the Third asked cryptically. Jizo just shrugged, "The Old Hawk planted them deep, but I dug deeper. I was thinking of having Inu go in with a squad and clean house, but leave as many roots alive for inspection."

"Yes. My old rival has been in the dark for too long… I will admit… My need for peace has weakened an already aged body. All the wars… Death… Sorrow… I finally had a taste of peace for this generation… If it gave us just a few more years of peace… Was it so wrong to let Danzo deal with the darkness the world had to offer? To close my eyes and dream of a world of light?" The Third asked painfully. He looked at the budding Bijū in shame. Was it such weakness that allowed Orochimaru to escape? Such blindness to not see Naruto was hiding it from him. Felt he couldn't trust him.

"We all make mistakes, Old Man." Jizo stated.

"Alright enough of that Old Man crap. You know only Naruto-kun can get away with calling me that, Jiraiya-kun." The Third busted the Toad Sage, who could only face fault. "Sensei! We have talked about this. When I am in disguise you are to use my alias and NEVER break character!" the Third chuckled at his former student. Suddenly there was a knock at Naruto's bedroom door. "Alright, Old Man Hokage! Everyone is gone. Can I come into my own room now?" both men chuckled sheepishly. They had missed the whole party, but it was all about Naruto so long as he had fun that was all that matter. The Third unsealed his door and the blonde boy came into the room.

"Took you long enough, Professor. Would you mind taking those seals off Flowey? I've waited months for it to finally bloom." Naruto stated simply. Jizo/Jiraiya was hesitant to do so, "Do as he said, Jizo. We owe this boy too much to not place our trust in him… All I want to know is why? Why didn't you tell me, Naruto-kun?" Jizo slowly removed each Seal Tag. Naruto looked at the Old Hokage. His eyes held great strength, but also great weariness. He had seen so much, done so much, and lost so much throughout his life. Naruto could literally feel the emotions rolling off the Third in waves.

"After I learned about the Kyūbi, from the Seedbag itself, I actually did some studying up on Bijū and Jinchūriki. You know all Jinchūriki are directly related to the Kage in order to both strengthen the Jinchūriki loyalty and to show the power of said Kage. Just got me thinking. If I am related to at least one of the Hokage… Why was I an orphan? And who is this guy?" Naruto let it out. He felt rage boil in his veins. Rage that was justified. For the first 9 years of his life he had to endure loneliness. He had to endure his envy seeing all the other kids with parents and a family and wondering why he was denied such a basic thing.

"I can't tell you which of the Hokage you are related to directly. I made a promise to your father to wait until you became a Genin. I can tell you that you are related to the other three Hokage due to your mother. You see, Uzumaki is not just a random surname. The Uzumaki were a clan. A major one at that since they were distant cousins of the Senju and they had their own land and hidden village. I will let your Godfather explain further." The Third gave the floor to Jizo, who dropped his disguise to reveal the legendary Sannin, Jiraiya!

"So… Who is this old geezer?" Naruto asked. Jiraiya face faulted before he picked himself back up, "The disrespect on my name though! What have you been learning in the Academy?! They still teach you all about the Legendary Sannin I am sure."

"Oh right! I actually remember that battle. The battle between you, your teammates, and Hanzo the Salamander. The lesson went you all lost, but Hanzo was so impressed that he not only let you live, but gave you that title. Why are Sannin so legendary… If they were given the title by someone who beat you up?" Naruto asked. That always confused him. If he got beat up and his tormentor gave him a title, he would reject it with all his power.

"Such disrespect! Sannin is more than just a title given to us by Hanzo. The rank let's others know we are Kage-level shinobi/kunoichi without being bound to the village. It also wasn't a lose on our part. We literally fought him to a stalemate. We were tasked with staling Hanzo while our comrades got to safety. In all honesty, it was a suicide mission and not only did we survive, but we managed to wear him out so much he was forced to retreat before giving us the title." Jiraiya explained.

"Well when you say it like that. Sannin sound awesome! Say why did you have a disguise on before?" Naruto asked.

"Let's just say I stand out pretty easy and my job requires I blend in or at least not call attention to myself. The name Jiraiya is known throughout the Elemental Nations and beyond! Men tremble in envy and fear at my manly prowess and the women swoon and faint over my charm and rugged good looks. I am the gallant Jiraiya of Mt. Myōboku!" Jiraiya declared. He even hit a pose to emphasize his coolness. Only the coolest of the cool could dance so well.

All pleasantries were suddenly cut short when waves of Kyūbi Chakra were released from Flowey. **"It is time…"**

"Guys, The Kyūbi says Flowey is finally about to bloom…" Naruto warned them. He could feel the Kyūbi react excitedly within his cage. Jiraiya swiftly sealed the room to prevent the Bijū Chakra from escaping. The room exploded with the power of the Bijū Chakra leaking from Flowey, but likely it didn't damage anything. Most of the excess was just absorbed by Naruto, though it was not pleasant. In a mad rush of power, Flowey finally bloomed as they petals opened up and released from inside a small orange fox.

" **It is odd… This must be how humans feel their whole lives… I feel considerably weaker, but most of my Chakra is still sealed away… Perhaps I can recover the Yin Chakra that bastard Fourth took from me in this form…"** Flowey said to itself. Jiraiya swiftly placed a special seal tag on the flower fox before it could slip away. The tag turned into a collar that caused Flowey to roar! Not even an hour into its freedom and it was sealed again!

"We can't let miniature Kyūbi roam around freely. That seal binds you to Naruto. You have some mobility and freedom away from him, but you can't go far. I would say the seal would activate and anchor you down until Naruto was in range to deactivate the seal. The distance is something you two will have to decide. Now, as to why I decided to show my face after 10 years of absence." Jiraiya explained. Naruto gave him the floor.

"My job for the village goes beyond just being a Shinobi. I also gather Intelligence on other villages for Konoha. Nothing too big, just making sure no one tries to attack us without us knowing it and all that. My job has not changed, but after observing you for a few months. I decided Sensei was not doing a good enough job making sure you were taken care of. He is a busy old man as am I, but as your God father I had to set up. Just buying your apartment and giving you money for groceries wasn't enough in my book." Jiraiya admited. Naruto couldn't believe how much his life was changing. It all seemed to start from Hinata. The first friend he ever made and had. From there, all manners of people came from the background in order to make his life better. He cried tears of joy for the second time that day. One thing was for certain, his 10th birthday was a day he would always remember…


End file.
